“I don’t hold to any creeds. I just believe the Bible.”
I’ve heard this statement more than once from very sincere people who are desperate to hold fast to the faith “once, for all delivered to the saints.” As a Protestant, and a Reformed believer at that, I vigorously hold to and defend the doctrine of Sola Scriptura: The BIBLE is the sole, infallible rule of faith and practice. Everything God wants us to know about Him is contained in the 66 books of God’s Holy Word. Everything about the way He wants to be worshipped is found in the Bible.
So what use is there to a creed, a confession, or a catechism when we have the Bible?
Creeds, confessions and catechisms are simply statements of faith- summaries of what a particular church believes the Bible teaches.The modern-day equivalent would be the “statement of faith” of any given church.Creeds, confessions, and catechisms are tools we can use to understand our faith more clearly. They are completely and totally subject to the Word of God. It is NOT NOT NOT the other way around.
I think so often that we Protestants are absolutely terrified of looking “Roman Catholic” that we eschew anything that’s older then our own denomination or anything that could be deemed “traditional”. We forget that we are part of the “invisible church” which is the number of true believers from the beginning of time. From Adam and Eve who first believed the Promise to the churches today- we are all one church. We can learn from our past as well as our present.
Creeds.net defines creed in this way:
“Creed \’kreed\
[ME crede, from OE creeda, from Latin credo ("I believe" the first word of the Apostles' and Nicene creeds), from credere to believe, trust, entrust; akin to OIr cretid "he believes"]
1: a brief authoritative formula of religious belief
2: a set of fundamental beliefs
3: a guiding principle
The Creeds and Confessions produced by the Christian Church over the centuries are not inspired additions to Scripture nor in any way replacements for the words of Christ and his apostles or the prophets which preceded them. Instead these human documents are carefully considered and usually thoughtfully worded responses to various issues, heresies and historical situations that have troubled the Church and the world over the centuries. Creeds are statements of faith that are true and authoritative insofar as they accurately reflect what Scripture teaches. Those linked here have been found useful either by the entire Church or by important segments and/or denominations of it over the ages. They are thus helpful “measuring sticks” for orthodoxy. Canons but not the canon.
Some have said the creeds are man made and hence should be ignored in favor of Scripture. Should we then dispose of all sermons, Bible study texts, commentaries, doctrinal outlines, books on theology, devotionals, et cetera? Certainly not! The creeds do not masquerade as Scripture and many specifically point out that it is the Scriptures themselves which are “the only infallible rule of faith and practice.” Yet as Christians is it not valuable to consider how the Holy Spirit has spoken to our brothers and sisters over the millennia as they have struggled with various issues, poured over the Scriptures and often fasted and prayed heartily with their fellow Christians in the light of the inspired texts? Surely, to quote the pulpit prince C. H. Spurgeon to his students,
“you are not such wiseacres as to think or say that you can expound the Scripture without the assistance from the works of divine and learned men who have labored before you in the field of exposition . . . . It seems odd that certain men who talk so much of what the Holy Spirit reveals to themselves, should think so little of what he has revealed to others.” (Commenting and Commentaries)
Even if we reject some of their insights at least we should pause to consider what they have gleaned from Holy Writ and how their historical situation influenced their Biblical interpretations. Let us remember the words of Peter when he said, “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:20-21 KJV)
-www.creeds.net (bolding is mine)
This is such a great discussion of the importance and value of creeds. Readers might be surprised to learn that creeds can be found in the Bible. Take, for instance, the Sh’ma, the first ancient creed of the Jews: “Hear O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One.” That is a creed. It is a statement of belief that the Lord is One.
Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ in Matthew 16 is yet another creed (it is also a confession, but that’s another post for another day.) He is making a statement that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. He is simply stating what he believes.
Creeds unite us with other believers. Each and every week, my husband, children and I stand up in church and state with every other believer in the room what we believe about God- we state the Apostles ’ Creed. We are united in a common belief about these things, and not just with people in our own church, but with believers all over the world who confess the same beliefs. The Lord’s Day is a time of corporate worship and we confess together what we believe corporately.
Another GREAT use for creeds is as a teaching tool. I am charged by God to teach my children the Faith. I am also charged to make disciples. The Apostles’ Creed is a great jumping off point for teaching the basic truths of the Christian faith: “ I believe in God, the Father”. Well, who is God? How is He our Father? I have an earthly father- so who is this “God, the Father”? “Maker of Heaven and Earth”- God made heaven and earth? I thought creation was just a bunch of random evolutionary processes over millions of years, says the new believer. You can use the creed to summarize these basic truths about God. It’s easy for a child or an adult to memorize.
Creeds also put a hedge around the Christian faith. They are written statements of belief that separate us from all those groups who claim to be Christian, but who distort or pervert one or more of the basic doctrines of Christianity. Any Mormon out there can pick up his Bible and prove his view of baptism or Jesus Christ just by using the Bible. There are Mormons who devote their LIVES to proving Mormonism from the Bible alone. So how do you know that your church is different and that what it is teaching is TRUE? Well, one helpful way is to turn to a creed. If you believe, as I do, that the historic creeds of the Christian faith fence the faith, then you’ll see everyone who holds to them inside the fence and everyone who denies the truths contained within them as outside of the fence. In other words, you’ll find it easier to identify brothers and sisters in the Lord if they can affirm these truths. Just look at the statement of faith in your own church. If a prospective member agrees with that statement, they will be approved for membership. If they disagree with the statement, they won’t be approved for membership. The church’s doctrine and the congregants won’t jive and one or the other will feel pretty uncomfortable if the relationship continues.
The search, of course, is ALWAYS for what is TRUE- not where you feel you fit in. And how do we measure what is true? The only infallible source is God’s Holy Word- the Bible.
I would encourage anyone who is suspicious of creeds to look at them and test them against Scripture. There are three “ecumenical” creeds (Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian), meaning that the doctrine contained in them is held by all Christian churches without dispute. If you’re not sure if your church teaches something in these creeds, or if you think anything in these creeds is wrong, send me an email or comment and I’ll see if I can answer your question.
Creeds are simply a summary of belief- a statement of faith. Just because it’s old doesn’t make it Roman Catholic. Why am I going to reinvent the wheel and write something new about basic Christian doctrine when its already been spelled out for me a thousand years ago or more?
For further reading:
Baptists and the Anabaptists have very little use for creeds. When someone starts in about how creeds are nothing and all they need is their Bible, my “SBC radar” goes up.
90% of the time, they’re some flavor of Baptist.
Not an accusation or anything….but it is generally true.
And I last attended an SBC church and creeds were very much regarded as “religion” and it was crammed down our throats that we didn’t need religion, but a relationship. About every Sunday you can hear our pastor say “It’s not about religion! It’s about relationship!” If I hear that one more time I might puke. While inherently true, there are a good many Christians worldwide who adore tradition, pomp, and circumstance that surrounds that relationship. It is not sinful to feel closer to God by reciting a creed, lighting a candle, taking eucharist, etc. The Baptist camp usually lumps it into one big thing and calls all of that “religion”.
Well said, Cally.
Again … another execellent post! Thank you!
I introduced my children to Creeds when they were very young and referred to them as a basic “Cheat Sheet” to the fundamentals of the faith. They are VERY familiar with the three basic creeds (Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian) with me requiring them to memorize the Apostles’ Creed around 2nd or 3rd grade.
I took both of my offspring through the Shorter Catechim Study Guides by G.I. Williamson (Vol. 1 & 2), the Heidelberg Catechism Study Guide by G.I. Williamson, and the Westminster Confession of Faith Study Guide by G.I. Williamson. This fall, God willing, we will be going through Luther’s Catechism as well.
Frankly, I consider it an insult IF anyone would ever dare to tell me that I put Creeds and Catechisms above Holy Writ and I am glad it has never happened!
Each Sunday our family repeats at least one of the Creeds and we tend to go through one of the Catechisms at least once every 5 years. We have found it keeps our thinking sharp because we are forced to look at what is being stated and see if it lines up with Scripture. Frankly, I credit the study of these Cheat Sheets (or Creeds) from helping us to steer clear of self-help books by self-proclaimed experts that cause dysfunctions within families and “rob children of their personalities” because they constantly focus the reader back to Christ and back to the Bible.
It helps us to be less vulnerable to those that love to use emotional abuse & emotional blackmail (i.e., name calling using terms like White Washed Feminist, Jezebel, liberal, etc.), and intimidation to force us to believe what they hold to be true vs. what the Bible says.
Rightly or wrongly, I think it is so sad that folks are unfamiliar with these things. Why? A great deal of Western civilization history is wrapped up in them. To not understand the thinking processes at certain times will give a highly skewed view of history, civics, culture, etc.
Why?
Simply because thoughts have consequences. We act on what we think.
Generationally and historically, Christendom has held to these Creeds. To ignore a MAJOR section of their thought process is—in my opinion—dumb. These Creeds had an impact on what laws were passed and if they were passed, how countries dealt with one another, they provide a better understanding when two countries went to war or if their were upheavels within a country, reaction to natural disasters/plagues, and more.
To ignore Creeds when talking about the Faith, history, economics, civicis, the development of literature, language, mathematics, and more when studying the West is like trying to cook except both hands are tied behind your back! It is not impossible to do, but most definitely hampers any movement forward or growth.
Yay, Jennifer. Thank you so much. I knew you’d do this subject well.
Lyndsey, I get why pastors would encourage one to have a relationship with the Lord. In some faiths it’s been a message that was ignored. But that said, we’re also a body of believers and we need to understand the beauty of that. God doesn’t just give us himself but each other. For me that’s a thought that is equal parts joy, humility, and conviction since I don’t always succeed at treating others in the way I’d like to be treated.
Amen! That is most certainly true.
Cally wrote: “I don’t hold to any creeds. I just believe the Bible.”
May I just make a personal observation of what I have experienced?
My experience is that those that make the above statement tend to hate history, strongly dislike history, or groan when they realize they have to study &/or teach their children history.
I am NOT saying it is every body’s experience … I am saying it has been my experience.
Interesting, eh?
I am not sure what the correlation to those two things are (I have some ideas), but I thought I’d just mention that this has been my experience.
Believe it or not, I am against creeds but have allowed my daughter to listen to a Charleston Baptist Catechism set to music by an SBTS professor, Jim Orreck.
Here is my problem with them: We have enough errancy with translations as it is. We add to that a creed or catechism ‘translated’ or condensed from scripture by other mere men. When do we go straight to the Source? We spend time reading the Institutes and learning Creeds but what about being immersed in scripture? Are we honest that we are doing both? Why not recite a Psalms together? The Word is living, breathing and it convicts!
To memorize a creed is not to memorize scripture. It teaches us to look to ‘man’ for answers and not to the Holy Spirit who teaches us through the Inspired Word. Our REAL teacher. Looking to man is what has gotten us into the great problems throughout history and those we face in Christendom today.
Tradition means nothing in the big picture. We have had lots centuries of tradition in Christendom of state churches, magistrates, infant baptism, transubstantiation, sacraments, etc. None of this is clearly scriptural. All of it is man made. Even our tradition of ‘pulpits’ and ‘one man speaking’ to many every Sunday is a tradition brought in by the Greek converts in 300 AD…a pagan temple oration tradition! Even our buildings are a tradition and have nothing to do with the NT.
I disagree with your take on creeds being in scripture. Some of what you are referring to are prayers or OT quotes.
Why not memorize Ephesians?
BTW: I am a history NUTCASE. I love it and cannot get enough of it so that theory does not apply to me. We are to LEARN from history….not repeat it. Always reforming.
Ok, you can all throw rocks now.
)
I made a post over at TW in the current thread about creeds. Creeds could be okay if not held higher than the Bible or as foolproof. A long time ago DH and I started going through the Westminister with our kids. I don’t recall where it was, but not too far into the document I decided we needed to look at the verses used to support their interpretation. I went and got the Bible to double check, read it aloud and the two didn’t line up. Both DH and I looked up and our eyes met over the heads of our kids. We’ve never picked up a creed since to read in the same way.
memorize creeds?!?
nope
memorize Bible … yes
use creeds to help with our understanding and to understand history? yes
I think its important to keep in mind that the Scripture proofs are a part of the catechism. If you memorize anything without the Scripture proofs, you defeat the purpose of using it entirely.
Anne2 said:
Before you go and throw out the baby with the bath water, there is a huge distinction between a creed of the early and universal church and a catechism of a particular, historical branch of that church. The Westminster Shorter and Longer Catechisms are tools for teaching the faith of the Anglican church. You may or may not agree with their textual supports, or even with their teaching points. However, a catechism is not the same as the historical creeds.
Anglicans use Westminster? I thought only Presbyterians used it… Ya learn something new every day
Okay, I had a very long, fantastic, witty and spectacular comment which, due to a computer glitch, was all deleted! So, I will say only this:
Think carefully about what you say if you say “No Creed but Christ” or some such pseudo-pithy statement, because what you are saying is actually a creed in itself. And a rather silly one at that, since it is self-contradictory and self-defeating.
[...] tip to the fine writers at White Washed Feminist, whose post on Creeds caused me to pause for a moment and quickly write down my bare-bones beliefs. Obviously this list [...]
You know, there are a lot of creedal statements in the Scriptures.
The Decalogue (Ten Commandments) are a creed; they summarize the full Law. If we recite the Decalogue, we are saying, I believe (“credo” ) the Law.
The Shema (“Hear, O Israel…” ) is a creedal statement.
The Great Commandments (“You shall love the Lord your God…You shall love your neighbor” ) constitute a summary creedal statement.
How many of us cling to the truth of John 3:16 as a summary of what we believe about salvation? That constitutes a creedal statement.
Acts 10:34-43
“Jesus is Lord” – a creedal statement in use during the time of Paul; cf 1 Cor. 12:3
1 Cor. 15:3-11
Eph. 1:3-14
Phil. 2:5-11
Col. 1:15-20
1 Tim. 2:4-6
1 Tim. 3:16
Just food for thought.
I began to notice quite a few years an interesting consistency with those who say such things as “I don’t follow creeds, I just believe the Bible” or “I’m not a Calvinist; I’m not an Arminian; I’m a biblicist.”
I think this statement is made when the person is no longer able to sustain their argument against a debater. This is actually a subtle ad hominem. It means, “I am right on this issue because I just believe the Bible, you’re wrong on this issue because you don’t believe the bible.”
I have advised a few pastors against using the increasingly popular label, “biblicist.” Most have them have rejected my advice. Those who have are consistently weak on doctrine – meaning they don’t have the ability to defend their position biblically, no matter what side of the issues they are on.
The question for me always comes down to, “On precisely what points is the [whatever] creed wrong”?
That question nearly always comes up with a non-answer. The creeds have endured precisely because they ARE an accurate statement of orthodox Christian belief.
And notice: nary a one of the historic creeds provide for a husband to be a ruler over his wife, for wives to be at-home only, or any of the other tenets of “biblical patriarchy.” I’m not saying the patriarchalists don’t find plenty of descriptions of patriarchy in the Bible; they’re all over the place. But the essentials of the faith simply do not require us to recreate ancient societal norms in order to follow Jesus Christ faithfully — and that includes adopting the worldly historical norm of patriarchy.
Perhaps that’s one reason some strongly patriarchal people decry the historic creeds. Just thinking out loud here.
RichardD wrote: “I don’t follow creeds, I just believe the Bible” … This is actually a subtle ad hominem. It means, “I am right on this issue because I just believe the Bible, you’re wrong on this issue because you don’t believe the bible.”
thank you!
you said it so succinctly!
Psalmist wrote: “The creeds have endured precisely because they ARE an accurate statement of orthodox Christian belief.”
thank you!
well put!
Oh Laura C, you are right. Thanks for clarifying that. My point was that we need to always use the Bible to assess what we read even the traditional church documents. I agree, they are good tools to succinctly teach the orthodox faith.
As a Protestant, and a Reformed believer at that, I vigorously hold to and defend the doctrine of Sola Scriptura: The BIBLE is the sole, infallible rule of faith and practice.
Can you send me to the passage in the bible that says that?
Thanks.
I *really* enjoyed this post. It says what I’ve been saying all along, and it is so cool of God to send confirmation like that through another’s blog. Wow. I hope to read more from your blog, and you’re welcome at mine any time. I linked to yours today; I hope that’s okay.
God bless you and yours.
We have to remember that the printing press was not invented until the mid 1500′s. Also any portion of the scriptures were not available in English until some 900 years after the death of our Lord and Savior. A whole English bible translation in 1200 or so. Not many a Christian had what we today call a bible. Thus much of what was known about true doctrine and faith was passed down verbally or from someones written notes. Think about it… a pastor saying this is what I remember being taught. This is what was in my notes… i think! No wonder when in 1611, King James chained a copy of the bible to every pulpit in his kingdom. The people refused to listen to a sermon for some time, wanting to rather hear the reading of the scriptures for themselves. Martin Luther was the priest who was in charge of teaching the books of the bible to catholic students in the 1500′s. He had available to him copies of the true word of God and he noted the difference between what saith the Lord and what had been passed down verbally and on written notes. Awww the continued conflict between written creeds and the word of God. We also should study to be approved of God as workmen who need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. The Breans were more noble than those at Thessalanica, for they search the scriptures daily to see if the things spoken were so!
One comment on relationship vs. religion
All word you dry up!!!
All spirit you blow up!!!
But a balance of the word and the spirit makes you grow up!!!
We need everything we can get our hands on that will help us know (by experience) the word of God better. bibles, books, creeds, pastors, mentors…all of them have helped me.
LET’S BE FRUITFUL & STAY THIRSTY MY FRIENDS!!!
Pastor Dan Pergrin D.D.